


a bottle of cheap wine and a sword

by tkayo



Category: A Practical Guide to Evil - erraticerrata
Genre: F/F, Post Book 5, Pre Book 6, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21603241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkayo/pseuds/tkayo
Summary: A limping gait whispered across the floor, the Black Queen hobbling behind the Tyrant’s back and slowing only to offer her the mostinsolentwink Cordelia had ever seen.She flushed.The Black Queen had a roving eye, a fact he’d heard had beenthe subject of great interest among Proceran royaltyI'm just sayin'
Relationships: Catherine Foundling/Cordelia Hasenbach
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	a bottle of cheap wine and a sword

“Your Most Serene Highness.”

From where she sat at the end of her writing table, Cordelia Hasenbach, First Prince of Procer, inclined her head to me.

“Your Majesty.”

I hadn’t been expecting her to be living it up on the march, not exactly, but it was still a surprise just _how_ austere her tent was. I had enough of a measure of her by now to know it wasn’t false humility, but hells, even _I_ had my creature comforts, and I’d grown up in an orphanage. The armchair we’d… _borrowed_ from the Count of Olden Oak was still as sinfully comfortable as ever, and I was still figuring out what I could do for Hakram in return for bringing it along with the Army of Callow. An orgy, maybe - lord knows he was practically running one himself these days. Ironically, when it came time to find gifts, it was usually him I turned to, never having been particularly skilled at it myself.

At Hasenbach’s nodded acknowledgement, I hobbled forward, letting the guard close the tent flap behind me.

“Please,” she said, rising and gesturing to the table in the centre of the tent, which held a bottle of wine and two cups.“Sit.”

I wouldn’t deny being curious, but I also wasn’t going to deny a seat after a long day’s march. I hadn’t been walking, at least, but horseback still strained my leg as the days stretched on. 

“So,” I asked, lowering myself into the chair with a relieved grunt, “what’s so important that it couldn’t wait for tomorrow’s meeting? And,” I glanced around theatrically at the empty tent, “doesn’t concern the rest of the Alliance?”

“Nothing so serious,” Cordelia replied, steepling her hands in front of her. “I was made aware that you had some free time in your schedule, and thought there were matters we might discuss.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Matters of state? I gotta admit, Cordelia, this backdoor politicking is a bit blatant, even for a jumped-up thug like me.” 

For all that we were allies now, I’d not forgotten our past history. And, judging by her tired wince at my words, neither had she.

“As you are wont to do, you’ve arrived at the heart of things. In your own blunt way, but nevertheless.” The other woman sighed, and found myself thinking that it was the most human I’d ever seen her, weary and rueful and almost… nervous. 

“Truth be told, you’re fully justified to feel as you do towards me, as the Queen of Callow to the First Prince of Procer, and that I will not begrudge you. But we march north now as allies, and I had thought that… well.” 

She gestured at the bottle of wine and the cups. 

“I suppose I thought that what the First Prince and the Black Queen could not settle, Cordelia and Catherine might be able to.”

I leaned back slightly, not entirely succeeding at keeping the surprise from my face. “...well, that’s bizarre enough a suggestion that I’m almost inclined to believe it genuine.”

Cordelia smirked, and poured the wine, handing a cup to me. I took a sip, and to my surprise and delight found it to be Vale summer wine. Even _Hakram_ hadn’t been able to find me any since leaving Salia.

“If you’d prefer a selfish motive on my part,” she said, sipping at her own wine, “it is not often one finds themself on cordial terms with the greatest villain of the age.”

I conceded the point with a short nod. Truth be told, I was finding myself intrigued by this whole situation, not in the least because of how _awkward_ it was. This was no great play of statecraft, I realised suddenly, but the almost charmingly fumbling attempts at cordiality from a woman who had not had any genuine friendships in a very long time. 

_Oh, what the hell._ It wasn’t like I’d been doing anything particularly productive with my time anyway - Cordelia had been right about that much - mostly just slamming my head against the brick wall that was my arcane studies. If nothing else, it was an excuse to get away from those damned charts and tables.

Plus, she’d found me Vale summer wine in the middle of the Twilight Realm. I figured I owed her a decent conversation for that if nothing else.

I shrugged the Mantle of Woe off of my shoulders, letting it drape over the back of the chair. “Does that mean I get to call you Delia? Ooh, how about Dede?”

“Only if I can call you ‘Rinny’,” the First Prince replied, deadpan.

I laughed despite myself. “Cordelia it is.”


End file.
